Story 6 - Purifying the mind

There is beautiful story in the Puranas. It speaks of Krishna jumping into the river Jumna while his father, mother, friends and relatives stood by, struck dumb with amazement. In their very presence he jumped into the torrent. They thought that he was gone, that he would never rise again. The story says that he went to the bottom of the river and there was a thousand-headed dragon. Krishna began to blow his flute, he began to play the man tram OM, he began to kick down the heads of the dragon, he began to crush down the heads of the dragon one by one, but as he crushed the many heads of the dragon one by one, other heads sprang up and thus it was very hard for him. Krishna went on jumping and dancing upon the crested head of the dragon: he went on playing the man-tram on his flute, he went on chanting his man tram and still jumping and crushing down 'the heads of the dragon. In half-an-hour the dragon was dead; with the charming note of the flute and the crushing of the dragon by his heels, the dragon was dead. The waters of the river were turned to blood and the blood of the dragon mixed with the water of the river. All the wives of the dragon came up to pay homage to Krishna, they wanted to drink the nectar of his sweet presence. Krishna came up from the river, the amazed relatives and friends were beside themselves, their joy knew no bounds, so happy were they to find their beloved Krishna, their beloved one, in their midst again. This story has a double meaning. It is an object lesson, so to say, for those who want to gain an insight of reality into their own Divinity.

That lake or river represents the mind or rather the lake of the mind, and whoever wants to become Krishna (the word Krishna means or stands for Deity, God), whoever wants to regain the paradise lost, he has to enter deep into the lake of his own mind, to dive deep into himself. He has to plunge deep into his own nature, reaching the bottom he has to fight; the venomous dragon,, the poisonous: snake of passion, desire, the venomous dragon of the worldly mind. He has to crush it down, he has to destroy its crests he has to kick down its many heads, he has to charm and destroy it. He must make clear the lake of his mind; he must clear his mind this way. The process is the same as that followed by Krishna. He is to take up his flute and play the man-tram OM through it. He has to sing that divine, blessed song through it.

What is this flute? It is simply a symbol for you. Look at the flute. Indian poets attach great importance to it. What great deed was it that the flute performed, that it was raised to such a dignity? By virtue of what great Karma was it elevated to such a position? Why was it that Krishna who was the object of worship, who was loved by mighty monarchs, who was worshipped by thousands of fairy maidens in broad India; how was it that Krishna, the beloved-one, the powerful one, the love personified, that Krishna who did not condescend to look at kings or monarchs, why gave he this flute kisses? What raised it to such a. position? The flute's answer was, "I have one virtue, one good point I have. I have made myself void of all matter." The flute is empty from head to foot, "I emptied myself of non-self." Just so applying, the flute to the lips means purifying; the heart,: turning the mind unto God - throwing every things at the feet of God, the beloved one. Just give up from your heart of hearts. Give up all claims upon the body, give up all selfishness, all selfish connections, all thoughts of mine and thine - rise above it. Wooing God, wooing Him as no worldly lover woes his lady love; hungering and thirsting after the realization of the true Self, just as a man of the world hungers and thirsts for what he has not had for a long time; hungering and thirsting for the Divine; yearning for the Truth; craving after a taste of the supreme reality of Self, putting yourself in that state of mind is applying the flute to the lips. In this state of mind, in this peace of mind, with such a pure soul begin to chant the man tram OM; begin to sing the sacred syllable OM. This is putting the breath of music into the flute. Make your whole life a flute. Make your whole body a flute. Empty it of selfishness and. fill it with divine breath.

Chant OM and while doing it begin that search within the lake of your mind. Search out the poisonous snake with its many tongues. These heads, tongues, and fangs of the poisonous snake are the innumerable wants, the worldly tendencies and the selfish propensities. Crush them one by one, trample them under your feet, single them out, overcome them and destroy them while singing the syllable OM.

Build up a character, make firm resolutions, make strong determinations and take solemn vows so that when you came out of the lake or river of the mind, you may not find the waters poisoned:; so that the waters will not; poison those who drink from them. Come out of the lake having purified it altogether. Let people differ from you, let them subject you to all sorts of difficulties, let them revile you, but despite their favours and frowns, their threats and promises from the lake of your mind, there should flow nothing but divine, infinitely pure, fresh water. Nectar should flow out of you so that it may become as impossible for you to think evil as for the pure fresh spring to poison those who drink from it. Purify the heart, sing the syllable OM, pick out all points of weakness, and eradicate them. Come out victorious having formed a beautiful character. When the dragon of passion is destroyed, you will find the objects of desire worshipping you, just as the wives of the dragon under the river paid homage unto Krishna after he had killed the snake.

MORAL: Mind can be purified by killing, one by one, all selfish desires or wants, and singing the syllable OM.

Vol. 2 (21-23)